The Glee cast will reunite next month for the 32nd annual GLAAD Media Awards, performing in memory of Naya Rivera.
The cast will join the awards show’s presentation set to be held in memory of their late co-star, who played Santana Lopez in the show, marking the 10th anniversary of the character coming out.
Demi Lovato, who guest-starred on Glee as Dani, will introduce the tribute to Rivera. Amber Riley, Jacob Artist, Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, Vanessa Lengies, Jane Lynch, Kevin McHale, Heather Morris, Matthew Morrison, Alex Newell, Harry Shum Jr., Becca Tobin and Jenna Ushkowitz will also be present for the special performance.
Santana Lopez was one of several LGBTQ+ characters portrayed in Glee, which the actress previously explained had developed from an initially brief storyline. “It started off as this funny little thing, like “oh yeah she just randomly hooks up with her friend Brittany,” Rivera explained.
“But I was kind of encouraging them to make it more serious and not play around with it ‘cause there are people out there that it’s not a joke to. It’s their real lives.”
The cast of Glee is reuniting at the #GLAADawards on April 8th to honor the legacy and impact of Naya Rivera and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her character Santana Lopez coming out. https://t.co/B9m6X6xpA7
— GLAAD (@glaad) March 24, 2021
Rivera was reported missing on July 8 last year after taking a boat trip at the popular waterway with her four-year-old son, Josey. The child was found asleep on the boat three hours after it had been rented. Rivera’s body was found on July 13 after local officials commenced a recovery mission.
In a tragic coincidence, the day of Rivera’s passing was also the anniversary of the death of Glee actor Cory Monteith, who died from a drug overdose in 2013.
The GLAAD Media Awards will air on GLAAD’s YouTube channel on April 8.
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